


Through Love's Eyes

by ShanoaWarrior



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Transgender Mikleo Bi-sexual Mikleo Bi-sexual Sorey Genderbent Mikleo AU Canon-based
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24692191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShanoaWarrior/pseuds/ShanoaWarrior
Summary: They say that love is love. Mikleo believed it with all his heart and swore never to keep a secret from Sorey. Except his most intimate secret. Can he bring himself to tell Sorey the truth or risk losing him to another? Collection of short Sorey/Mikleo snippets written in tribute to LGBTQ pride month.
Relationships: Mikleo/Sorey (Tales of Zestiria)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 11





	1. The Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the party's first encounter with Heldalf, Mikleo sustains heavy injuries while protecting Sorey. Later, while treating him, Lailah discovers something about the water seraph that utterly shocks her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Zestiria. I write this for your enjoyment only. This fic will be a short collection of both canon-based and complete AU stories, mostly revolving around the friendship/relationship of Sorey and Mikleo. I plan to base some snippets on the game/manga, others on the anime, and maybe throw in a few with a blend of the game, manga, and anime elements. My AUs include genderbent/transgender Mikleo as a tribute to LGBTQ pride month as well as bi-sexual/pansexual themes. If any of this is not to your liking or offends you, I suggest you not read any further. On another note, I've also taken a lot of liberties with how things work in the Zestiria world so please excuse any discrepancies with canon. That said, enjoy and please review!

"Sorey, look out!" Mikleo cried when he saw Heldalf knock his best friend down with a powerful blow to the chest. Although the monstrous hellion had no weapon other than his fists, it was more than enough to knock the wind out of Sorey. By now, it was obvious to everyone in their party that Heldalf was far too powerful for them to take on and that the bastard was taunting them by holding back.

Despite the presence of Alisha and Rose as well as five seraphims, the Lord of Calamity was interested only in Sorey and focused all his attacks on the Shepard while swatting away anyone else who tried to get close to land a hit on him as if they were mere flies.

As Sorey struggled to get up while trying to ignore the agonizing pain in his torso where he was certain that Heldalf must have broken at least a few of his ribs, the powerful hellion drew back his arm and opened his palm, revealing five razor sharp talons as he prepared to attack Sorey again.

Not wanting to take chances on the gamble that Heldalf was going to hold back on Sorey a second time, Mikleo quickly shoved Symonne, whom he had been engaged in combat with, away with his quarterstaff before using his teleportation magic to suddenly materialize between the monstrous hellion and his friend.

"Mikleo, no!" Sorey screamed when he realized what his seraphim companion was trying to do. But it happened so fast he literally had no time to blink, let alone get up to protect Mikleo before Heldalf made a powerful swipe and gouged the water seraph in the chest to the horror of everyone present, including Sorey. In an attempt to protect his friend, Mikleo had raised his quarterstaff to block Heldalf's attack but the hellion's powerful talons easily cleaved it into pieces as if it were made out of butter before making contact with his tender flesh.

Before everyone knew it, Mikleo collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely from five deep gashes stretching from his upper right chest to his lower left abdomen. Ignoring the pain of his own broken ribs, Sorey quickly made his way to Mikleo and remove his white Shepard's cloak before placing it on the seraph's body and pressed down on the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Rose, Alisha, and the rest of their seraphim allies had expected Heldalf to continue his attack on Sorey now that he was injured and preoccupied with trying to save Mikleo and quickly moved in with their weapons drawn to defend the two.

But to the surprise of everyone present, the Lord of Calamity actually backed off. And it wasn't due to being intimidated by the Shepard's allies either. The sneer he gave them made that obvious.

"Well, this is a surprise", he began. "As pathetically weak as you all are, you still don't hesitate to protect your comrades. I could easily kill any of you where you stand now. But doing so would not serve my purpose."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Rose demanded.

Ignoring her, Heldalf turned back to Sorey. "I commend your efforts, young Shepard. You may still be of use to me yet so I'll let you live for now. Seek me out again when you've become strong enough to stand a fighting chance. Once you've become mankind's one hope for survival, I shall crush you and the world will know true despair. Come, Symonne! Let us leave these worms to consider my words."

The dark seraph lowered her weapon, which she had been prepared to raise against Alisha and backed off.

"Yes, master. As you command", Symonne replied coolly as she turned her back on the princess knight, unconcerned that Alisha might try and strike her from behind since she knew it was against a knight's code of honor to do so. Alisha knew this as well and gritted her teeth in slight frustration before lowering her own weapon.

Once Heldalf and his servant, Symonne, vanished into a dark cloud of mist, everyone quickly gathered around Sorey, who was desperately trying to stop the bleeding from Mikleo's injuries. By now, the beautiful white Shepard's cloak that Alisha had given him as a gift was drenched in blood. But that was the least of his concerns now.

"Dammit, its not stopping!" Sorey cried in panic and frustration before turning to his friends. "We have to do something or at this rate, Mikleo will…!"

Lailah quickly got on her knees and stilled Sorey's hands. "Calm down, Sorey! Mikleo's wounds are deep but not fatal. If we treat him immediately and properly, he will live."

Hoping that she was right, Sorey nodded and moved aside to give Lailah room. Closing her eyes, Lailah placed a hand over Mikleo's body and chanted a healing spell. To the amazement of Sorey, Rose, and Alisha, the five deep gashes on Mikleo's torso stopped bleeding and started to close even though water seraph had not yet regained consciousness. However, his breathing became steady again, indicating that he was alive, as Lailah had promised.

The fire seraph lowered her hand and turned to Sorey. "It is done", she said. "Mikleo's life is no longer in any immediate danger but we'll still have to get him out of these bloody clothes and clean him up so that he doesn't get a nasty infection. I suggest we leave here and set up camp someplace where its safe. It doesn't look like we're can go any further until Mikleo recovers."

Sorey nodded. "You'll get no argument from me, Lailah."

"Same goes for us", Zaveid added. "After what just happened, I'm sure we can all use a bit of time to rest and recover."

Edna snorted as she closed her parasol and rested it on her shoulder. "You know, for once, I actually agree with you, Zaveid."

Dezel, who had been listening to the whole conversation in silence, merely grunted but made no objection since he was also in agreement. Though he would never admit it, Dezel was also concerned for Mikleo as well.

"Then its settled", Lailah said as she got up and brushed her knees. "I trust you'll be all right with moving Mikleo, Sorey? If it's too much for you, Zaveid can do it."

Sorey shook his head as he slowly and carefully took Mikleo into his arms and stood up, all while ignoring the pain of his own injuries. "No need. I'll do it myself; he's not all that heavy anyway. Just don't tell him I said that, ok?"

Despite their less-than ideal situation, Rose and Alisha could not help giggling at Sorey's remark.

"You know, if Mikleo was a girl, he would actually be more offended if you suggested he was heavy, not the other way around", Rose teased.

"True", Alisha agreed. "A lady is sensitive about her weight, just as she is her age."

Sorey rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm thankful I don't have to worry about that with Mikleo. Let's just get out of here for now, ok? I'll feel better the sooner we have him taken care of."

"Of course. Whatever you say, Mr. Shepard", the girls replied in unison.

* * *

"Sorey, are you all right?" Lailah asked in concern as she watched him gently set the sleeping Mikleo down on the soft fur blanket spread across the tent floor. It was times like these that the Shepard was grateful to have a squire like Rose, who was also a merchant with access to just about anything and everything they would need for their grueling quest to rid the world of malevolence as well as Heldalf. ***1***

However, the Lord of Calamity was the last thing on Sorey's mind. At the moment, Mikleo was his first priority. There was no need to be concerned over Haldalf going after them since he himself said he would wait for Sorey and his companions to come to him, something the young Shepard was secretly grateful for.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired" Sorey answered. "Edna healed my ribs if that's what you're concerned about."

"Yes, of course, I can see that. You wouldn't be able to carry Mikleo all the way here otherwise. However, its still obvious that you are spent and need rest. Mikleo wasn't the only one who took a heavy blow from the Lord of Calamity. Please, leave him to me and get some rest. You won't be any good to anyone if you overexert yourself."

Sorey sighed but he knew Lailah was right. The days' events were finally starting to take its toll on him and he had no energy to argue with his prime lord.

"All right, Lailah. I trust you. Please take care of Mikleo."

"Of course. I'll be up a while longer. I can stay up all night if need be. Just get some rest. I'm sure Rose and Alisha are worried about you too."

"I will. Thanks, Lailah. For everything."

"You're welcome, Sorey. Good night."

* * *

After Sorey had left, Lailah quickly got to work and began removing Mikleo's tunic as well as his split cape. From what she could see, the fine satin fabric was torn beyond repair, meaning that the garment would likely have to be discarded. Which was a pity because it was quite elegant to look upon. Even Mikleo's white pants would have to go as well since it would be impossible to get the bloodstains out.

Hoping that Mikleo would understand and forgive her later, Lailah continued working to removing his torn and bloody clothing. It was after she had managed to open the front of Mikleo's tunic that Lailah discovered something about the young water seraph that had utterly shocked her.

He had the body of a female.

Lailah wasn't one to make judgments. If Mikleo chose to present himself as a male and wished to be perceived as a male, then she would respect and honor his wishes regardless of his reasons. However, Lailah still had questions and many of them raced through her mind at once. But for now, getting Mikleo cleaned up and changed was her first priority.

As if in answer to her thoughts, the seraph in question began to stir and gave a soft groan he slowly opened his eyes.

"Lailah?", he asked weakly as his vision slowly started to make out the fire seraph's form leaning over him. The last thing he remembered was coming between Sorey and Heldalf before he felt a terrible searing pain tear across his torso and blacked out.

"Yes, its me", Lailah answered as she gently pushed Mikleo back down on the soft rug when he tried to sit up. "Please don't try to move too much now lest you re-open your wounds. I managed to heal them enough to get you out of immediate danger but you still need proper rest to make a complete recovery."

Mikleo opened his mouth and was about to ask what happened when he finally noticed that his tunic and cape were gone, leaving him practically topless except for the bindings he used to flatten his breasts. Which were also torn in many places, covered in blood, and hung from his body in tatters. With a sharp gasp, Mikleo quickly covered his chest with his arms and glared at his caretaker as he managed to sit up and scoot away.

"You saw, didn't you?" he hissed. ***2***

"Mikleo, I didn't' mean any harm", Lailah insisted gently. "Your clothes were drenched in blood and filth from the wounds Heldalf gave you as well as your nasty fall. If I left you as you were, you would have suffered a painful infection and died since they're not completely healed."

As upset and distraught as he was over having his most intimate secret exposed, Mikleo knew Lailah was right and did his best to calm down. He also knew it wouldn't be fair to take his frustrations out on her considering that she was the one who saved his life and was now going out of her way to help him recover.

"I see… I'm sorry. And thank you for helping me, Lailah."

Lailah's expression softened as her shock faded and became motherly concern for the younger seraph under her care. She knew she shouldn't ask but her curiosity was too great to resist.

"You're welcome, Mikleo. I hope you'll forgive me for asking, but does Sorey know?"

Mikleo shook his head. "No… I never told him. Or anyone else for that matter. Asides from my late mother, only my guardian and his servants who tended to me when I was a baby, knows."

Lailah raised a brow. "Really? How can that be? Sorey told me you two used to bathe together after your hunting trips in the mountains of Elysium. It would have been impossible for him not to notice."

"Normally, yes, that would be true", Mikleo agreed. "But I used my seraphic arts to conjure an illusion spell to fool Sorey into thinking I had a male body whenever I had to disrobe in front of him."

"But why the deception, Mikleo? Do you hate being female that much?"

Mikleo shook his head again. "It had nothing to do with that", he insisted. "My guardian did not want me and Sorey to become close in that way. He used to tell me it was better for me to live as a male and be nothing more than Sorey's best friend and brother. I had no objection to being raised as a boy because it would have been difficult for me to go hunting, fishing, and exploring ruins with him while dressed as a girl anyway."

Although Lailah did not think that Mikleo would deliberately lie to her about his reasons for living as a male after everything she had done for him, she also sensed that he wasn't telling her the whole truth either.

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" she pressed.

"What do you mean?"

"Mikleo, I'm not blind. Its quite obvious to me that your feelings for Sorey goes beyond that of friendship, beyond that of family. I'm also familiar with the laws of our people in regards to relationships with humans. Normally, we are not permitted to interact directly with them. But your guardian made an exception because he raised you both together. However, he still tried to prevent you and Sorey from getting too close."

"I assure you, Lailah, you don't have to tell me that. I'm very well aware of the rules. I also thought that if I lived as a male, I wouldn't have these kinds of feelings for him but I was wrong."

"Unfortunately, its not that simple, Mikleo. Even if you were born male, it still wouldn't guarantee your feelings for Sorey would be any different than they are now."

Mikleo nodded as he squeezed his eyes shut and fought back tears. Although Lailah did not mention it directly, they both knew that friendships and love between human and seraphim were highly discouraged, almost taboo and forbidden, because it would always result in tragedy due to the drastic difference in their lifespans. While seraphim had a lifespan of centuries, some even millennia, very few humans ever reached a hundred years of age. Even the rabbit-like normin, who were the shortest-lived among the seraphim, still had a lifespan twice that of humans. ***3***

"I know…" he sniffed. "But what else _can_ I do?"

In answer, Lailah gently cupped Mikleo's face in both her hands and looked directly into his violet eyes while gently brushing away the tears that managed to escape from them.

"Mikleo, I will not judge you or tell you how to live your life. I'm more than willing to help you if you want to keep pretending to be a boy. But I implore you to tell Sorey the truth someday, tell him how you really feel. Because if you don't, you could end up losing him."

Although Lailah did not elaborate further, Mikleo knew exactly what she meant. Sorey was a handsome young man and news of his incredible feats as the next Shepard was spreading far and wide across the land. So, it was inevitable that Sorey would catch the attention and fancy of many eligible young women, including Rose and Alisha, who would subtly vie for his attention when they thought Mikleo wasn't looking.

"I know…" he agreed. "But I'm not ready to yet; I need a little more time."

"Mikleo, you don't need my permission or approval to do or not do anything. I'm only concerned for your sake and Sorey's."

"Speaking of which, how is Sorey?"

"He's fine. Heldalf broke a couple of his ribs but Edna already took care of it. Sorey was concerned for you more than anything. That's why I think you mustn't keep such secrets from him."

"I understand. And I appreciate it. I'm sure I'll know when the time is right to tell him. Until then, will you keep my secret?"

"Of course. You have my word. For now, lets get you out of these filthy clothes. There's a stream nearby where you can bathe and I'll ask Alisha to bring you some spare clothing. I'm sorry to say it, but it doesn't look like your outfit can be saved. If you want, I'll ask Rose to see if she can arrange to have another one like it made for you."

"Whatever we have will do for now. I can wait."

Relieved that Mikleo wasn't going to be difficult because of his secret being exposed, Lailah smiled.

"Good."

Despite his close brush with death as well as having the secret he had painstakingly guarded for years exposed, Mikleo could not help smiling as well. He was indeed fortunate to have a friend as kind and understanding as his caretaker. Mikleo even felt a measure of relief now that he had someone to confide in regarding his true sex.

And it was friendships like these that made the hurdles in his life worthwhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This story is based on the anime version of Sorey and company's first encounter with Heldalf.
> 
> 2\. In this story, Mikleo is a transgender male, biologically female but chooses to live and identify himself as a male so I refer to him as a "he".
> 
> 3\. In the game and manga versions of Tales of Zestiria, it is implied that the seraphim are long-lived even though they are not immortal because they can still die from natural causes or being deliberately killed.


	2. A Confession Over Pumpkin Mousse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To make up for teasing Mikleo earlier, Sorey saves and brings Mikleo his own cup of delicious pumpkin mousse as well as reveal a little secret of his own to him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Zestiria. I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is my personal take on the aftermath of the infamous pumpkin mousse scene in episode 13, season two of the ToZ anime and is canon-based AU with differences from the original. It is a direct sequel to my first installment "The Secret". Please refer to the footnotes at the end. On a note, my fics will usually have a transgender or genderbent Mikleo with bisexual and pansexual themes so I suggest you not read any further if this offends you. On another note, I've also taken a lot of liberties with how things work in the Zestiria world so please excuse any discrepancies with canon. That being said, enjoy and please review!

Mikleo sighed as he leaned back slightly and gazed up at the starry night sky from his seat on an old collapsed pillar that was once part of the abandoned temple where Sorey's caravan of followers had chosen to camp out for the night. After everyone else had turned in, including his fellow seraphim, Mikleo decided to take a brief walk around the old temple for some sight-seeing before sitting down on a piece of broken pillar just outside the camp where he could admire the nighttime scenery in peace.

And despite the sub-zero weather of the far northern land where he had been traveling with his human and seraphim companions over the last few days, Mikleo was not bothered or effected in the slightest by the cold. For unlike humans, seraphim were not as sensitive to drastic changes in temperature; the biting cold of his surroundings would have to become unbearable to humans before Mikleo could even be affected, especially as a water seraph. ***1***

Were it not for his shared interest in history and archaeology with Sorey, Mikleo might have turned in like all the others. But since he did not require as much sleep as humans, Mikleo chose to stay up, partly because he needed something to take his mind off of how crossed he had been with his best friend earlier that evening for refusing to give him a second bite of his pumpkin mousse dessert. And all while knowing full well that Mikleo could not ask the cooks for his own portion since he could not be seen or heard by ordinary humans.

 _Humph!_ Mikleo inwardly scoffed as he crossed his arms. _Its probably for the best, anyway. I shouldn't be stuffing my face with desserts if I don't want to put on weight and pop out of my clothes. Sorey can go pig out for all I care!_

As if in answer to his thoughts, the young water seraph heard a familiar voice call out quietly, but affectionately, from behind him.

"I'd thought I'd find you here, Mikleo. You never could resist a sight-seeing tour of any ruins, even out in the middle of nowhere. I'm just hurt that you didn't invite me to come along with you."

"Oh, look who's- "

Before Mikleo could turn around and snap at the owner of that all-too familiar voice, he suddenly saw a gloved hand dangling a cup of familiar mouth-watering dessert in front of his large violet eyes from behind him. It took all of Mikleo's effort to refrain from drooling at the sight of the pumpkin mousse he had begged Sorey for earlier that evening.

"Sorry about earlier", Sorey apologized as he dropped the little glass cup of pumpkin mousse into Mikleo's waiting hands before taking a seat on the pillar next to him. "Its just that you looked so cute when you're all flustered up that I couldn't resist. I did manage to save you some so I hope you'll forgive me for teasing you like that."

"Hmph!" Mikleo scoffed, refusing to give his friend an answer. Instead, he gave a snarky retort. "I hope _you_ were considerate enough to bring me a spoon, Sorey. Surely you don't expect me to eat this with my bare hands? If you did and its another one of your jokes…"

Sorey rolled his eyes as he reached into his coat pocket and took out a small spoon before handing it to his seraphim companion.

"Of course, not, Mikleo. Not that it wouldn't be funny to see you try and eat it with your hands. You looked like you wanted that mousse so badly, you were willing to eat it with or without a spoon."

The water seraph glared at him, even as he dipped the spoon in his overdue dessert and shoved it into his mouth while secretly reveling in its heavenly taste. He knew Sorey was likely right but Mikleo wasn't going to give his friend the satisfaction of knowing that.

Sorey knew it too but decided to hold his tongue and let Mikleo hold onto his pride while enjoying the dessert he had denied him earlier.

After watching Mikleo finish the pumpkin mouse, Sorey gave out a small sigh and stuck out his hand to silently ask for the glass and spoon back. He didn't need to say it, but they both knew that Alisha's cooks would be wanting them back later since the cup was made of high-quality glass and the spoon of sterling silver.

"Are you satisfied now, Mikleo?", he asked.

"Yes, what do you think?" Mikleo shot back in a high-strung tone of voice as if Sorey owed him the dessert for his little stunt earlier that evening.

"Now don't give me that look, Mikleo", Sorey teased. "You should feel honored that the Shepard himself has brought you that delicious mousse when he could have gone straight to bed and let you dream about it tonight instead."

"Ha! As if!" the water seraph shot back in denial. Although Mikleo would never admit it, a part of him _had_ been tempted to turn Sorey's pumpkin mousse earlier that evening into a solid block of ice, including the spoonful he had in his mouth, and might have done so had he not promised their grandfather that he would never use his seraphic powers for such childish, petty reasons.

Even so, Sorey still knew better than to tempt Mikleo by pushing his buttons further. Such a move would have been unwise considering the powerful water-based seraphic arts he possessed. Instead, Sorey tried to appease his friend by reaching into his pocket and taking out a handful of what he knew to be Mikleo's favorite treats. Despite the fact that it was quite dark with the exception of the stars and soft moonlight shining down on the ruins, Mikleo's vision was sharp and he instantly recognized them as pieces of milk chocolate, human candies he had taken a liking to after leaving Elysium. ***2***

"Well, to make things up to you, I brought you a little bit of extra to go with that pumpkin mousse dessert. You still got room for a little more or would you rather preserve that girlish hourglass figure?"

Mikleo was tempted but feigned disinterest as he crossed his arms and looked away from his best friend.

"Are you trying to bribe me now, Sorey? Cause I'm not gonna let you off that easily!"

"Aww, come on! We both know you want some, Mikleo! You've always had a sweet tooth since we were little so don't try to deny it!" the young Shepard teased playfully as he picked up a piece of chocolate with the thumb and forefinger of his other hand and offered it to Mikleo. "Now be a good boy and open wide!"

"Oh, so now I'm a dog?"

Sorey grinned as he brought the tempting chocolate closer to Mikleo's cute little mouth.

Although Mikleo tried his best to look unimpressed, the moment he saw the sweet, and affectionate look on Sorey's face, he found his heart melting into a puddle of goo and smiled himself before opening his mouth and letting Sorey pop the chocolate into it. No matter how much he wanted to, Mikleo could never stay angry with Sorey for long, especially when he did little things like this.

"Want another?" the younger boy teased.

Mikleo smirked. "Are you trying to make me fat, Sorey?"

Sorey gave him an innocent look as he gasped and tried to feign shock. "Who, me? Never! Besides, I'm sure you the kind of guy who could eat anything and not gain an ounce. That is, if your snacking habits back home was ever any indication."

Mikleo sighed with dismay when he realized that Sorey had indeed been aware that he had secretly snacked more than their guardian approved of, even if was only on fruit and nuts since human treats and desserts were non-existent in Elysium.

Upon seeing the surprised look on Mikleo's face, Sorey could not help but laugh. "Oh, come on! We've been together all the time almost since the day we were born. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? But don't worry, I never told anyone, including Gramps."

"Well, I suppose I should be thanking you, then?"

"Yep. And you can thank me by eating the rest of these…"

Unable to resist, Mikleo finally gave in as he allowed Sorey to hand-feed him the remaining four pieces of chocolate he brought with him. After they were gone, Mikleo licked his lips and said "I think that should be it for a while. I wouldn't be able to fit in my clothes anymore if I put on weight."

"Yes, I know you don't want to lose that gorgeous hourglass figure of yours, Mikleo…"

The water seraph stared at his best friend incredulously. "What is it with you and my 'figure'? Guys don't have that."

"You're right. _Guys_ don't have figures. But girls do, don't they?"

Mikleo found himself growing pale at the implication. Well, more so than he usually was, having always been light-skinned since birth.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about!" he stammered as he quickly turned his head to avoid meeting Sorey's questioning gaze. How could the older boy have figured out his secret when Lailah had given him her word that she wouldn't speak of it to anyone, especially Sorey? ***3***

"Do you?" Sorey pressed. "And I thought you trusted me."

"I…"

"Uh, huh. So…when were you going to tell me, Mikleo?", Sorey asked innocently.

"Tell you what?", Mikleo demanded.

"You're not really a boy, are you?"

If Mikleo's face grew any hotter, he swore he could have cooked an egg on it.

"What? Since when did you…?"

Smiling, Sorey leaned closer and playfully whispered his own little secret into his seraphim companion's ear.

"Mikleo… I knew it since we were thirteen…"

The water seraph felt his stomach drop. "But, _how?"_

"Remember that time we got filthy after that long prickle boar hunt in the mountains for the first time?"

Mikleo gulped as he recalled all too well what Sorey was talking about. "You don't mean…?"

"Mm-hmm… we couldn't go home to Gramps looking and smelling the way we did so you suggested we bathe in that little mountain stream. Together."

 _Oh, God, no. It can't be!_ Mikleo thought in horror. _I could have sworn I got that illusion spell right! Unless…_

"You…you were able to see..?"

"Uh, huh. Did you really think I could be fooled by a spell that even a common street illusionist could perform?" Sorey asked with a playful grin.

Mikleo thought he was going to die of embarrassment then and there even though he knew he shouldn't have been surprised at his friend's revelation. Sorey did, after all, have the power to see and hear seraphim so why wouldn't he be able to see through Mikleo's illusion spell to his real body- his _female_ body, as well?

Burying his face in his hands, the water seraph groaned. "Oh, God…"

Mikleo's first instinct was to run away from his childhood friend, if only because he needed some time alone to process and accept what he had just learned. In fact, he was about to do just that when he felt a strong pair of hands on his shoulders. Looking up, Mikleo found himself being drawn into Sorey's embrace.

"Hey, its ok. You've got nothing to be embarrassed about."

Mikleo wanted to slap him. "If you knew all this time, then why didn't you say anything?" he demanded.

"Why? Maybe because I wanted to wait till the right time so I can see that cute look on your face just now", Sorey teased.

"Or maybe you just wanted to see my real body every time we bathed or use the sauna together!", Mikleo accused.

The older boy stuck out his tongue playfully. He wasn't even going to deny it.

"That too", Sorey admitted. So, he wasn't as innocent and pure as he led others to believe after all.

"Why, you pervert!", Mikleo shrieked. Angry and embarrassed beyond belief, he was about to give in to his urge to slap Sorey when the older boy suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips to Mikleo's.

"Mmmf!"

The sudden and unexpected move caught Mikleo completely off guard and he struggled briefly in Sorey's strong hold. But it was a weak and half-hearted effort before he finally gave in and returned the kiss of his friend whom he had been secretly in love with since childhood.

"Mmmm… you're so delicious, Mikleo…" Sorey teased. "Even more than chocolate and pumpkin mousse…"

Forgetting his embarrassment from earlier, the water seraph smirked as Sorey finally released him "My, what a bold thing to say considering how shy you act around Rose and Alisha along with all the other girls in the caravan who hit on you. Or was that all an act too?"

"What do you think, Mikleo?" Sorey challenged. "Haven't you figured it out by now that I have absolutely no interest in any of them?"

Mikleo's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he gave his best friend an annoyed look. "I take back what I said all those months ago, Sorey. You're a better liar and pretender than I gave you credit for…"

Sorey laughed before pulling Mikleo in for another much-desired kiss. "I think I'll take that as a complement" he whispered against Mikleo's lips. "Now that the cat's out of the bag, why don't you come to bed?"

"With you?"

"Unless you prefer to sleep out here alone?"

Mikleo sighed before finally returning Sorey's smile. Although he had been utterly mortified upon discovering that his best friend had known his most intimate secret all along, in a way, Mikleo also felt relieved. Especially now that he no longer had to worry about how he was going to tell Sorey that he was biologically a woman as well as worry about how the older boy was going to react. His true feelings were no longer in question either.

"No… bed sounds good just about now… I just hope that when I wake up, this won't all be just a dream."

In response, Sorey offered Mikleo his arm in a gentlemanly fashion.

"I promise you, _Miss_ Mikleo, it won't", he assured playfully with a pat on Mikleo's hand and peck on his cheek.

His seraphim companion laughed. "All right then. Lead the way, Mr. Sorey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The anime implies that seraphim are not affected by extreme temperatures the way humans are since Mikleo, Lailah, Zaveid, and Edna do not don winter clothing while traveling to the cold northern lands.
> 
> 2\. In the anime version of Tales of Zestiria, the village of seraphim where Sorey and Mikleo had grown up is called Elysium while it is called Elysia in the game and manga versions. In Greek mythology, Elysium is a paradise where good and righteous people go after they die.
> 
> 3\. In my AU, Mikleo is a transgender male, biologically female but chooses to live and present himself as a man.


	3. Feminine Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While reminiscing on their past journey with Sorey, Rose and Alisha realizes a very startling truth about his favorite seraphim companion...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Zestiria. I write this for your enjoyment only. This chapter is my personal take on the Rose/Alisha scene in the anime's epilogue with some differences from the original. I've also taken liberties with how things supposedly work in the Zestiria/Berseria world as well as character backgrounds so please excuse any discrepancies from canon and refer to the footnotes at the end. My fic will also have some bi-sexual/pan-sexual themes so I suggest you not read further if this offends you or is not to your liking. That being said, enjoy and please review!

"Alisha…"

"Mmm…"

"Hey, earth to Alisha!"

Alisha was startled out of her reverie by a familiar cheerful voice coming from over her shoulder and turned around to see a bright-eyed young woman with flowing red hair dressed in denim shorts and a white blouse, sticking her tongue at her playfully.

"Oh, good day, Rose. What can I do for you?", the new Queen of Hyland asked politely as she set the book she was reading on her lap. Dressed in an elegant velvet green and white frilly Victorian style outfit with her curly blond hair tied back in a pony-tail, Alisha looked every bit the queen she was now instead of the knight she had chosen to be up until her coronation.

Rose rolled her eyes and sighed before taking a seat on the log next to Alisha. "I know you're a queen now but you don't have to be so formal when you're out here among friends", she answered. "Not after all we've been through together."

Alisha laughed softly as she gazed ahead and took in the view of the huge lake stretching out for miles before them. It was a gorgeous sunny day and she knew she shouldn't waste it burying her nose in a book. Not when her royal duties already consumed so much of her life nowadays.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. It must be force of habit for me. Ever since I took the throne, I've been expected to carry myself a certain way at all hours of the day and night. Its harder for me to be myself when everyone is literally watching every move I make, every breath I take, and every word I say. ***1*** Ironically, my life is even more restricting now than the one I led before as a princess knight. Even if I _do_ have more influence to change my country and people's lives for the better."

"I bet…" Rose agreed. "But you're not home right now so I wouldn't worry about it. Even queens need a day off. _Anyway_ , what's that you got there?" she asked curiously, pointing at the small book in her friend's lap.

"Oh, this?" Alisha began, holding the small brown book up for her friend to see. "Its an updated version of the Celestial Record."

"Updated? You mean...?"

"Yes… Mikleo added some new chapters and presented it to me as a gift since he knew I couldn't travel casually and see the world myself. At least, not anymore" ***2***

"Oooh, that was really nice of him" Rose squealed. "I suspected as much since the Celestial Record does look a bit thicker than I remembered. I'm sure Mikleo must have a lot of interesting things to add considering how much he's been traveling over the last few years. Speaking of which, how was he? I haven't seen him in a while…"

Alisha smiled as she opened the Celestial Record again and pulled a pencil out of her shirt pocket. "He looked well. Even though Mikleo won't say it, I know he's been trying to keep himself as busy as possible."

"Hmm…can't say I blame him", Rose agreed as she watched Alisha use her pencil to lightly sketch something on a page of the Celestial Record next to what appeared to be Mikleo's handwriting. When Alisha's work started to take on a familiar form, Rose found herself smiling mischievously.

"Say, is that who I think it is?" she asked, her voice a teasing lilt.

Alisha blushed. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Mm-hmm… I'm sure he'd be interested to see it when he returns."

Alisha found her face growing hotter. "Oh, no he won't!" she insisted. "And _you're_ not going to tell him!"

Rose laughed for a few moments before tracing the outlines of the familiar face Alisha had sketched on the Celestial Record with her finger. Although Alsiha had refrained from saying his name, Rose easily recognized her drawing as that of the young man they had both loved but neither could ever have. ***3***

"Hmm… it looks like you've got the contours of his face down nicely. The eyes, however, are all wrong. They weren't spaced _that_ far apart." Rose pointed out.

Alisha smirked at her friend's critique. "Oh? You remembered such a little detail?"

"It's not like I could ever forget a face like his! I've never seen anyone so innocent, so clueless, and…"

"So handsome?" Alisha finished with a teasing grin to see how her friend would react.

It was now Rose's turn to blush and she hesitated for a moment before changing the subject.

"You miss him, do you?"

"I do", Alisha admitted. "What about you?"

Rose's eyes darted away at the question and she hesitated a moment before answering.

"Hmm…not really".

Alisha gave her a disbelieving look until Rose sighed and finally admitted.

"Ok, ok, maybe a little. How long as it been?"

Alisha closed her eyes as she pondered Rose's question. "Soon, it will be five years."

Her friend's eyebrows rose. "Already? Has it really been that long?"

"Yes… I think about Sorey every day. And there are times I worry about him. But I know in my heart that he's still alive out there, somewhere."

"Of course, he is!", Rose insisted. "Remember the pact he made with us? Our lives are literally bound to his. So as long as we're alive, Sorey must be too."

"True… still, I wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

"If Sorey will ever return..."

Rose gave the other girl a sympathetic smile and gently pulled her into a reassuring hug. "Hey, don't worry, Alisha. I'm sure he'll be back someday. He _is_ Sorey, after all."

Alisha hesitated for a moment before returning her friend's hug. "Yes, I suppose you're right", she replied.

Although Alisha could tell that Rose was trying to be reassuring and optimistic for her sake, they both knew that there was no guarantee Sorey would return within their lifetime. And even if he did, there was no guarantee that he would remember or recognize them either, especially if it took decades.

"So…if you don't mind my asking, are you over him yet?" Rose asked quietly as she released Alisha.

If anyone else had asked, the young queen would have found the question offensive. But with Rose, it was different and not just because they were now best friends. During their journey to rid the world of hellions and Heldalf, Alisha and Rose had also been rivals for Sorey's affections in addition to being his loyal squires and helpers.

And while Alisha had been more open and honest with her feelings, Rose had vehemently denied hers, insisting that the young Shepard was far too naive and green for her tastes, before realizing that that was precisely what she liked about him. ***4***

Instead of answering Rose's question, Alisha returned it since she knew it applied equally to her friend as well.

"Are you?"

"You first", the red-head insisted.

Alisha sighed. "I honestly don't know if I am."

"That's a fair answer. Mine is actually the same. But I do know that we'll eventually have to get over Sorey someday."

"And why do you think that?"

Rose placed her hands behind herself and leaned back slightly from her seat on the log.

"Well, isn't it obvious? His heart belongs only to Mikleo."

Alisha's mouth dropped at Rose's outrageous implication. Even though neither young man was present, she felt it was terribly rude to even suggest such a thing about them.

"Rose!"

"Hey, I'm serious, Alisha!"

The blonde stared at her. "You really believe Sorey and Mikleo are like that?"

"I believe that they are unusually close, even for two guys who are supposedly best friends."

"How so? Sorey has never struck me as leaning in that direction."

"I don't believe so either. But that wasn't exactly what I meant."

"Could you please explain _just_ what you meant than, Rose? You've lost me there…"

Rose took a deep breath before speaking again. "I've had this nagging suspicion for some time now, one that I haven't been able to shake off. Do you remember when Mikleo got injured the first time we faced off against Heldalf?"

"Yes… Sorey left him with Lailah while he came to check up on us."

"Right. I remember Lailah coming to see me later that night and asking if I could arrange to have another outfit made for Mikleo since his old one was damaged beyond repair. However, she was insistent on being the one to take his size and measurements instead of just letting me do it, despite the fact that I have more experience."

Alisha's brows rose, her curiosity piqued. "Really? Why do you think that is?"

"I wasn't sure. But I did have the feeling that Lailah was hiding something from me, something unsettling she discovered but didn't want me or anyone else to know."

"About Mikleo?"

"Yes."

"What do you think it was?"

"Well, I could be wrong, but…"

"But?"

"Before I answer that, answer me this: have you ever noticed how feminine Mikleo looks for a boy?"

"Sure, I have. But that isn't unique to Mikleo. I've seen lots of girly-looking boys."

"But don't you think Mikleo seems a bit _too_ girly for a boy? And it's not just his looks either."

Alisha was silent for a moment as she took Rose's words in. Now that she thought about it, the hints _were_ there if one looked carefully enough: Mikleo's delicate features, his slender form, narrow waist, shapely legs, the slight protuberance of his chest combined with the feminine grace he displayed in battle as well as his tendency to get jealous whenever he saw any female get too close to Sorey, could only mean one thing…

Alisha gasped and her eyes widened as she was finally able to put the pieces together and realized what Rose had suspected all along.

Mikleo was really a woman. ***5***

"I don't believe it…" she breathed. "Can it really be...?"

"It would explain a lot of things…"

"Yes… now that I think about it, you may be right."

Rose leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Do you think Sorey knows?"

Alisha pondered the thought for a moment before answering. "He must have. Sorey is the only person I was aware of in Mikleo's life before the two of them left Elysium together. If anyone knew Mikleo's secret, it would be him."

"Yes… I thought so too. I've been watching them a bit more closely since that day Mikleo was almost killed. Sorey became more protective of him. And more affectionate towards him too."

Alisha fell silent again as she recalled the times she'd seen Sorey gift Mikleo with little trinkets he ran across during their journey, the kind that a girl would like. She also remembered how Sorey would feed Mikleo with his own hand when they stopped at places to eat and rest, playfully popping fruit and candy into Mikleo's mouth and gently stroking the water seraph's cheek with that tender look of affection in his eyes that one would reserve only for a lover.

"My God… I guess that really _is_ the case. I wish there was a way to know for sure…"

Rose grinned and gave Alisha a wink. "Well, why not just ask him? Mikleo, I mean. It's the most obvious way to find out..."

Alisha glared at her. "We can't do that! It would be unbelievably rude, not to mention intrusive! How could you even suggest such a thing?!"

Rose made a gesture with her hands in an attempt to calm Alisha down.

"Hey, it was a joke! Of course, we won't ask! We'll just wait and see if Mikleo himself will tell us someday. Fair?"

Alisha finally managed to calm herself. Although she wanted to know the truth about Mikleo as much as Rose did, asking him directly was out of the question for her. And she certainly didn't want Rose to ask either. But knowing how often the other girl had let her curiosity get the better of her in the past, Alisha wanted to make sure.

"Rose, I know you're curious but _promise_ me you won't ask Mikleo about his gender. Its something you just _don't_ do, ok?"

"Yes, I promise. But you can't tell me you aren't dying to know yourself."

"I won't lie, yes I would. But its really not our business."

Rose sighed. "Fine, I understand."

"Good… Anyway, I'd like to finish this sketch of Sorey if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'm really impressed with it; you never told me you knew how to draw."

"Well, I just started learning recently."

"Really? At least it's better than your cooking", the red-head teased, playfully nudging Alisha with her elbow.

Alisha scowled. "Now don't start that up again…" she warned. "Its not like _your_ cooking is much better."

Rose stuck out her tongue, not the slightest bit offended even though she knew her friend was right.

"I was kidding. You really need to learn how to take a joke, Alisha. I mean it, I'm very impressed with your picture. Could you teach me how to draw too?"

Glad that Rose finally offered an excuse to take her mind off of her less-than impeccable cooking skills, Alisha was more than happy to oblige.

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. "Every Breath You Take" is a song by the English rock band the Police from their album Synchronicity (1983). Written by Sting, the single was the biggest US and UK hit of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks (the band's only No. 1 hit on that chart), and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the Billboard Top Tracks chart for nine. I thought it would be interesting to make a reference to it in regards to Alisha's new position as Queen of Hyland.
> 
> 2\. Although not explicitly stated in the anime epilogue, I believe that Mikleo was likely the one who wrote the new "edition" of the Celestial Record and drew the pictures of Sorey and company in it. I also believe that the copy Alisha possessed belonged to Sorey as well since she seemed to treasure it very much.
> 
> 3\. Based on my observation of the anime, both Rose and Alisha seemed to show some attraction and interest in Sorey and vice versa though none of them try to pursue a relationship seriously. I just expanded on their feelings in my AU.
> 
> 4\. In the Zestiria anime, Sorey is equally close to Rose and Alisha verses the game/manga version where he is much closer to Rose because Alisha's role was considerably smaller and she does not accompany him on his journey for nearly as long as the anime.
> 
> 5\. Mikleo is canonically male but in my AU, he is a transgender boy, biologically female but chooses to live and identify as male.


	4. To Be a Lady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikleo finally takes the plunge and tries to embrace his femininity and discovers some interesting things about what it means to be a lady...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Zestiria, I write this for your enjoyment only. My fic is a collection of short stories based on the anime, game, and manga versions of Zestiria and I have taken a lot of liberties to make them work. So please excuse any discrepancies from canon and refer to the footnotes at the end. This story takes place around 2-3 years after Sorey enters his enchanted sleep in the anime versions of ToZ. Enjoy and please review!

Mikleo winced as he felt his bluish-white strands being pulled a little too hard for comfort in Edna's small hands as the child-like earth seraph worked tirelessly to braid his hair. Although he could tell that Edna was at least attempting to be gentle, Mikleo could not help wondering if asking her and Lailah to help him explore his femininity was a good idea after all.

"Edna, could you _please_ be a bit gentler?" Mikleo pleaded while resisting the urge to look over his shoulder where Edna was sitting on the edge of his bed while he sat on his folded knees in front of her. "I'd like to have a bit of hair to show Sorey when he returns someday."

Edna rolled her eyes and Mikleo could feel them on the back of his head. After his lifelong companion had left them over two years ago, Mikleo and the others had done their best to carry out his wishes to educate people about malevolence with the seraphs speaking through Rose and Alisha. Not only that, Mikleo also made an additional vow to himself that he would finally accept his true sex and start living as a female.

Still, making the transition wasn't as simple or easy as Mikleo thought it would be. All his life, he had presented himself as male and insisted on being perceived as a male. And it wasn't because Mikleo hated the body he was born in. It was because he felt obligated to honor his grandfather's wishes for him to live as a boy and have a strictly platonic and brotherly relationship with Sorey, something that became vastly more difficult when they reached adolescence and Mikleo found himself attracted to his childhood friend.

Yet despite the fact that he abhorred keeping any secrets from his love interest, Mikleo forced himself to repress his feelings, not just to hide the truth from Sorey, but from the other Elysium villagers as well. Other than his guardian, only Natalie and Melody, Zenrus's most trusted maidservants who had tended to Mikleo as a baby, knew his secret.

At least until now.

Fortunately, Mikleo did not have to keep lying to Sorey about his gender. For as luck would have it, the brunet boy had unwittingly discovered it on his own when they were thirteen but had kept it a secret from Mikleo himself until shortly before their final confrontation with Heldalf.

After Sorey entered his enchanted sleep, Mikleo had returned to Elysium where his grandfather and the villagers welcomed him back. However, they found it strange to see him without Sorey since the two had been inseparable since birth and were almost always seen together. After telling Zenrus what had happened, Mikleo asked permission to move his possessions into Sorey's house and take it as his own, at least until Sorey himself returned. The elder seraph, understanding Mikleo's need to be around anything that reminded him of Sorey, agreed.

For the past two years, Mikleo had lived in Sorey's home where his scent and energy still lingered as well as his material possessions. Which included lots and lots of books. In fact, Sorey owned more books than anything else because knowledge was far more addicting to him than material possessions. After leaving Elysium for the world below, both Sorey and Mikleo were baffled with how overly obsessed humans could be over material possessions that they did not truly need.

Yet, that did not stop the brunet boy from collecting trinkets and other material things on their journey that he thought might interest his seraphim companion and make him smile. And Mikleo himself treasured them all, never failing to bring a single one back home.

Upon his return to Elysium and moving into Sorey's house, Mikleo had been tempted to leave his friend's books and possessions exactly where he left them until he returned. But over time, Lailah, Edna, and even Zavied, who visited him frequently, suggested it was better to clean and organize the humble abode so that it would look tidier, not to mention easier to maneuver without dozens of books all over the floor. With Sorey's books now neatly organized on the wooden bookshelves Zavied had gotten for Mikleo in addition to the dressing table and feminine trinkets that decorated the place, Mikleo's room as well as the rest of his house now looked more suitable for a woman.

While the dressing table was useful when Mikleo needed to brush his growing hair and such, at the moment, it was not needed because he had Edna to tend to his new bluish-white mane that now hung halfway down his back.

The earth seraph said nothing to what she thought was childish complaining and complied, loosening her grip on Mikleo's hair. Sill, she couldn't resist the urge to tease him as always.

"You know, if you want to have longer hair, you're going to have to accept all the hassles that comes with maintaining it."

"Yes, but to do that, I'd have to have hair to maintain in the first place", Mikleo shot back before adding a subtle apology for his snarky retort since he didn't want Edna to stop braiding his hair. "Not that I don't appreciate your efforts, Edna."

Taking the hint, Edna smirked. "You're welcome, Meebo. Just don't get too used to it. I'm only doing this because Lailah is running a bit late. My only job at your grandfather's request was to bring you some new clothes."

Mikeo scowled as he looked at the pile of female garments Edna had left on top of his dresser. Even after his closest seraphim companions had learned his secret, Mikleo continued to don male attire so that the other Elysium villagers would continue to believe he was a boy. But that would soon change as more and more people became aware or suspected the truth about him. At one point, the cat was going to have to come out of the bag so Mikleo might as well prepare for that day as well as he could.

Trying not to think of how shocked his fellow villagers would be when they learned the truth about him, Mikleo decided to change the subject.

"Will you _please_ stop calling me that?" he pleaded and demanded at the same time.

Edna smirked. "I suppose I should since you're not really a boy. How about I call you 'Migirl' instead?"

Mikleo groaned. "That sounds even worse. Mikleo will suffice, if you please."

"Ok, fine. Whatever."

"Thank you… by the way, I suppose I owe you my gratitude, and not just for this" he began while gesturing to his braid. 

Edna raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Without turning around, Mikleo took a deep breath and finally spoke what was on his mind.

"You knew all along that I was really a woman. Yet you never told Sorey or anyone else. Why?"

Edna was silent for a moment and slowed her braiding of Mikleo's hair before answering.

"And why would I do that?" she replied in amusement. "We all have our secrets, Mikleo. And yours were not mine to tell. Not that I needed to, as you well know…"

"Yes, I do", Mikleo sighed, knowing Edna meant that in addition to Sorey, their other close seraphim companions had also managed to figure out his secret on their own at one point or another. And while Mikleo wasn't sure exactly when Edna realized, he assumed she must have figured it out early in their journey since she constantly teased Mikleo about his possessiveness of Sorey as being akin to that of a jealous girlfriend. The only ones among their circle who never realized were Rose, Alisha, and possibly the late Dezel as well.

And while Edna might have been blunt and insensitive at times, she was far from being malicious and cruel. Besides, what fun would it have been to expose Mikleo's secret when Edna found no ends of amusement seeing the puzzled expressions on Rose and Alisha's faces every time Mikleo got jealous whenever they or any other female tried to get too close to Sorey. Even Lailah and herself, who saw the young Shepard as nothing more than a naive child, were not immune.

Mikleo supposed he should be grateful to the earth seraph for being considerate enough not to go around telling everyone he was actually female, even if part of it was for her own ends. Edna was also generous enough to go out of her way to find attractive clothing to fit Mikleo's petite frame.

After Edna had finished braiding his hair, she took a small black hair tie from her pocket and tied the end of the thick plait. Despite Mikleo's worries about Edna yanking out all his hair with her rough handling, he still had a lot to spare.

"There, all done. Lailah should be here soon and I'm getting a bit hungry so if you'll excuse me, I'll be dropping by Myrna's place; I hear she's the best cook in Elysium and she did say she'll treat me to a meal for helping you and Sorey."

Mikleo rolled his eyes at the earth seraph's expectation of a reward but he supposed she did deserve one for everything she had done for Sorey and himself. And if Myrna offered Edna that free meal, there was no reason for Edna not to take her up on it.

"Fine, I understand. Thank you for taking time to find me some new clothes and braiding my hair, Edna."

Edna snorted as she got up from her seat at the edge of Mikleo's bed. "You're welcome. I'll still be in Elysium for a bit longer so if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. You can always pay me back later."

"Of course, Edna. Later."

"Later", Edna repeated before she finally gathered her things and left.

After the earth seraph had left, Mikleo got up and walked over to his dressing table. As soon as he was in front of the large mirror, Mikleo closed his eyes and slowly started to concentrate, willing his reflection to appear. This was something that took years of practice for the water seraph to finally master for unlike humans, seraphim could not see their reflection in the mirror as effortlessly. Although no one, possibly including his grandfather, really knew why, Mikleo supposed it was one of the many prices the seraphim paid for their powers and long lifespans. ***1***

After a few moments, a faint, but visible enough reflection of Mikleo finally appeared in the mirror, enabling him to take a good look at his long plait. Flipping it over his shoulder and taking it between two fingers, the water seraph was surprised to see that Edna had done a rather impressive job braiding his hair since it looked absolutely perfect and not a single wisp was out of place. Mikleo could not help but wonder if Edna cheated a bit and used her seraphic powers because it was unlikely that a human hairdresser could have done such a flawless job.

Mikleo was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone knocking at his door. Knowing it had to be Lailah because he was expecting her, Mikleo turned from the mirror on his dressing table, his reflection vanishing as he did so, and went to answer the door for his visitor. In addition to bringing Mikleo some new accessories, Lailah also brought him make-up and what appeared to be female undergarments to go with his new wardrobe. The water seraph found himself blushing even though he was grateful Lailah was cautious enough to bring them in a discreet leather bag similar to the one Sorey carried on him during their travels. Neither of them wanted the Elysian villagers to start asking questions that Mikleo was not comfortable with answering yet.

"Good afternoon, Mikleo. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Lailah greeted.

Mikleo shook his head. "No, your timing is actually perfect. Edna just left a few minutes ago. She said she wanted to get something to eat."

The fire seraph smiled as she offered the bag she was holding to Mikleo. "That sounds like her. For someone with such a small body, Edna sure has a voracious appetite. Kind of like a certain someone we know…"

Mikleo laughed at the implication. "Right…now that I think about it, I should have made Edna some ice cream before she left. It's the least I could do after she went though the trouble of getting me all these clothes", he said as he made a gesture with his arm to the pile of fine clothing piled on his dressing table.

Judging from the variety of styles, Lailah could tell that they were from all over the land and possibly other countries as well. Like Mikleo himself, she appreciated the effort Edna made to find such attractive and fitting garb for their water seraph friend. They both knew Edna wasn't deliberately blunt to be mean, it was just her way. The fact that the earth seraph went out of her way for Mikleo as well as their other companions in the past was more than enough proof that she cared.

"Yes, maybe you should have. I'm sure you'll have a chance before she leaves the village for today. Or the next time she returns to see you. As we all have these last two years."

Mikleo frowned slightly as he picked up on Lailah's implication. After Sorey had left them Mikleo returned to Elysium and did not leave the seraphim village, explore the human world, or even enjoyed life as often as his best friend would have liked him to. Before, Mikleo was more than happy to follow Sorey almost anywhere but nothing he did now felt the same without the brunet boy's companionship.

"Lailah…" Mikleo began.

But before he could say anything else, the fire seraph placed two delicate fingers on his lips. "Hush, now", she said gently. "You don't have to say anything. I understand. We all do. Take as much time as you need and when you're ready, you can go back out into the world again and fulfill Sorey's wish."

Mikleo sighed in relief. "I appreciate your understanding, Lailah. And your patience", he added as he turned and walked towards his bed before sitting down and patting the spot next to him.

Taking the invitation, Lailah walked over and took a seat next to the younger seraph. He looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to say it. But Lailah didn't want to make Mikleo uncomfortable by pressing him so she waited patiently until he was ready to say what was on his mind.

"Lailah…if you don't mind, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes?"

Mikleo looked down for a moment, his cheeks reddening slightly at what he was about to ask before finally lifting his head, looked Lailah straight in the eyes, and made his request.

"Can you… teach me how to be a lady?"

Lailah blinked and gave Mikleo an astonished look for this was not what she was expecting him to ask. After taking a few moments to let the younger seraph's request sink in, Lailah slowly gave her answer along with a question of her own as she gently placed a hand on his cheek.

"I could… but before I do that, can you envision yourself as a woman, Mikleo?" she asked. It was a fair question for although Mikleo was anatomically female, they both knew that there was more to being a "lady" in the sense that he implied and desired than mere biology. ***2***

"What do you mean, Lailah?"

"Exactly what I said. I can teach you everything I know about being a lady but it will do you no good if you cannot envision yourself as one because that is most important."

"I…I haven't thought about it too much until Sorey left."

"And why is that?"

"Well…" Mikleo began before hesitating even though he suspected that Lailah already knew the truth but wanted confirmation from his own lips.

"It's because of Sorey, isn't it? You want to be with him again when he returns but not exactly as you were before."

Mikleo said nothing but nodded. Although it was left unsaid, they both knew that it was socially unacceptable among humans and seraphim alike for two people of the same gender to be a couple. At least for the time being. And the last thing Mikleo wanted was to make Sorey an outcast by being with him if everyone believed he was a male. ***3***

"Yes", Mikleo finally answered. "The first step I took was growing out my hair. Though I'm not sure if that counts for much since there are plenty of human and seraph men who wear their hair long anyway. Like Zavied."

Lailah smiled and giggled. "That's actually a good start." She said. "However, growing out your hair won't be enough if you want to maintain a feminine presence and appearance. If you truly want to look and feel like a woman, you're going to have to start with your attire and I don't mean just the clothes Edna got for you."

"Such as?"

Lailah sighed and gently ran a finger down the center of Mikleo's chest, starting from his sternum down to his ribcage where she could easily feel the water seraph's chest bindings.

"For starters, you'll have to give these up and start wearing proper female undergarments as well as women's clothes" she began. "You're fortunate I managed to find some for you."

Mikleo blushed as his gaze wandered to the bag full of female undergarments and accessories that Lailah brought for him.

"Alright…what else?", he asked.

"Second, you'll need to get used to being referred to as a 'she' and 'her'."

"I think I can do that… anything else?"

"Yes… you need to start thinking, feeling, being comfortable, and proud to be a woman as well as do all the things that men can't do. And believe me, its more than you'd realize."

"I see… I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I have no idea how to put these…undergarments on. Could you teach me?"

"Of course. It's what I'm here for", Lailah answered before her turquoise eyes glittered with a bit of mischief and Mikleo found himself growing a little nervous.

Before he could change his mind, the fire seraph got up and walked over to the leather bag she brought. Opening it, Lailah rummaged through its contents before she found what she was looking for: a simple white form-fitting undergarment with straps and two "cups". If Mikleo's guess was correct, the garment was intended to cover and support a woman's breasts, his to be exact, in place of the chest bindings he's worn since puberty.

"What is that?", he asked.

"It's called a brassiere, or 'bra' for short. As you've probably guessed, they're designed to cover and support your breasts and be worn under your shirt, dress, or whatever garments you happen to be wearing."

Mikleo's mouth formed a silent "o" as his brows rose in interest. "Do all bras look like that?", he asked curiously.

Lailah laughed at the younger seraph's naiveté. "No, of course not. The basic cup and strap feature are the same for all brassieres but they vary in size, shapes, and designs. Since this will be your first time wearing one, I thought simple might be most comfortable for you. Shall we?"

Mikleo nodded, stood up, and turned around. Making sure his back was to the fire seraph, he unzipped the front of his tunic and removed it before allowing Lailah to take the garment and tuck it over her arm.

"Do you want help with that?" she asked, pointing to his chest bindings.

Mikleo was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, please".

Lailah said nothing more and proceeded to help the younger seraph remove the simple cloth bindings around his chest.

"Did you bind yourself like this every day since you reached adolescence?" she asked curiously. "Because it looks like a lot of work to put on and remove."

"Yes. I got used to it" Mikleo answered simply. He could not help letting out a sigh of relief when the last of his tight chest bindings were removed, leaving him completely topless.

Sensing the younger seraph's embarrassment, Lailah rolled her eyes and said "It's all right, Mikleo. We're both ladies here."

Mikleo found his cheeks turning red when he realized that he had his arms crossed over his chest and released them. Knowing that he was going to need Lailah to teach him out to put a bra on, he slowly turned to face her. As always, the older seraph had nothing but motherly concern for him and Mikleo found himself slowly able to relax.

From what Lailah herself could see, Mikleo hardly had any breasts at all. Which came as no surprise considering how tightly he had been binding and flattening them against his chest for years. Perhaps that might change since Mikleo was still young and growing as well as willing to start wearing the proper attire for his true gender.

"Here, lift your arms", she instructed gently. "To make things easier for you, I made sure to get bras that can open from the front like your tunic."

"You mean there are those that open from the back too?" Mikleo asked curiously as he allowed Lailah to help him put on his bra and secure it with the closure in front.

"Yes", she answered. "You could wear either; it all depends on your preference."

"Oh…it must be a hassle closing a bra from the back. I can't even close an outfit that zips in the back without hassle. It's so impractical."

Lailah laughed. "Welcome to the world of fashion, Mikleo. Unlike your usual outfit, women's fashions can often be impractical because beauty comes first."

"Oh… I didn't know that. It looks like I have a lot to learn about being a woman."

"A bit. Just think of it as another adventure like you did when exploring some new ruins with Sorey."

Mikleo frowned slightly. "Except this time, I'll be going about it alone."

"Hush, now, that isn't true", Lailah chided gently. "You know Edna and I will always be happy to help you with whatever you need. I'm sure you could ask Natalie and Melody too since they already know your secret."

"Soon to be ex-secret", Mikleo corrected. "I'm still nervous over how everyone else in the village is going to react when I come out as female."

_Including Gramps..._

Although he refrained from saying so, Mikleo was also a bit nervous over what his grandfather would think of his decision to finally live as a woman since it meant he would have to confess his feelings for Sorey as the motive if the elder seraph were to ask for his reason. And he could never lie to his grandfather. ***4***

"They might be a bit shocked at first. But I think they would still love you just the same", Lailah assured before pausing as a thought came to her. "And so would Sorey."

Mikleo blushed again when the older seraph bought up his love interest. "Do you really think he's going to like my new look?" he asked.

"Well, you said that Sorey has known you were female since you two were what? Thirteen?"

"Yes", Mikleo answered as he recalled his annoyance at the brunet boy for willfully feigning ignorance of his true sex for as long as he did as well as revealing it just to tease him. "But its also my fault for not realizing the hints he's been dropping over the years."

"Such as?"

"Well… teasing and flirting with me in a way a boy would with a girl." ***5***

"I see... and from what I can see, Sorey has shown no interest in anyone, male or female, but you. Even Rose and Alisha, despite their loyalty to Sorey, were friend zoned by him. Do you know what that means?"

"What?"

"It means that Sorey doesn't care if you are male or female. He would still love you just the same. Because you're _you_."

Mikleo took his braid between his fingers again. "Do you think he'll even recognize me with long hair and female clothes?", he asked nervously as he tried to imagine Sorey's reaction to his new look.

"Considering how well Sorey knows you, I'm sure he'd recognize and love you even if you were wearing a potato sack with messy hair and a dirty face", she teased. "Not that I'd recommend it, mind you. How about we try on these new clothes Edna got for you? If they don't fit, we can always ask Rose to find you some."

Mikleo shook his head. "No, we can't. I haven't told her or Alisha yet."

"Oh…really? I thought they would have figured it out by now."

"They were actually the ones I tried the hardest to keep my secret around. I couldn't let them know what Sorey actually meant to me knowing how they felt about him. It would have made an ungodly mess of things considering we had an all-powerful hellion to rid the world of. Even afterwards, I still couldn't bring myself to tell Rose and Alisha. I feel bad about lying to them after everything we've all been through together."

Lailah smiled and patted Mikleo's arm before going over to the dressing table and picking up a random two-piece outfit.

"Don't worry about it, Mikleo. I'm sure they'll understand when you're ready to tell them. How about we start with this outfit? It's a good start since its somewhat similar to what you're used to wearing.

Mikleo glanced at what appeared to be a white tunic with black frills at the edges and blue designs on the front. It also came with a pair of matching white pants. If he were to add a split cape to it like he did with his favorite outfit, it would look perfect.

"I'd like that", Mikleo said.

"Good. I'm sure you can put this on yourself but since I'm here, why don't I help you?"

"Thank you, that makes me very happy. Asides from the hair and clothes, is there anything else I need to look more feminine?"

"Well, there is. And its totally optional since not all women wear it, but you can use a bit of make-up to brighten your face. If you're interested, I can teach you how to put some on later" Lailah answered as she helped Mikleo into his new outfit.

"I think I'd like that too" he said. "Even though I've never worn any before and have zero experience with it."

"That's right. Anything to look perfect for Sorey when he returns, right?", the fire seraph teased.

Mikleo found himself blushing furiously again.

"Lailah, please stop!"

Lailah laughed but ceased her teasing. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Its just that you look so cute when you're riled up like that."

Mikleo rolled his eyes. "Sorey said that too."

"Did he now? Well, that's no surprise. Shall we continue? I'd like to see how these pants fit you."

Glad to have an excuse to change the subject, the water seraph agreed.

"Yes, please…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Although not mentioned in the anime, it was revealed in the game version of Zestiria in a skit that seraphim cannot see their reflections in the mirror as easily as humans unless they concentrated and willed them to appear.
> 
> 2\. The game reveals that a seraph's appearance is linked to how they view themselves. So even if Mikleo was canonically female, he could still give himself the appearance of possessing a male body. In my fic, Mikleo cannot do this so he depends on his male disguise and illusion magic to conceal his true gender.
> 
> 3\. In most western societies, gay relations and marriage is legal and acceptable. In other parts of the world, other sexual orientations are not tolerated and can even result in persecution. In my story, same-sex relations are not socially acceptable at the moment but is open to change in the future.
> 
> 4\. In all three versions of Zestiria, Sorey shows more interest in Mikleo than anyone, male or female, leading me to believe that he his demi-sexual, people who can feel romantic/sexual attraction only to someone they've formed a close bond with. Which in Sorey's case, is Mikleo.
> 
> 5\. Unlike the game where Zenrus was confirmed to have died fighting Heldalf, he is implied to be alive in the anime and still living in Elysium. Sorey inquires about him to Mikleo when they are reunited in the anime epilogue.


End file.
